The rise of progressives
Hark, the progressives are here! They’re here to save us from ourselves. The assumption that we need help is a bit insulting, but OK. They mean well.
Progressives love the idea of sustainability but have no idea of how to balance a budget. Bernie Sanders offers free college, without any idea of how to pay for the costs of a quality education. Ask Hawaii’s teachers and UH faculty how that’s going to work.
“Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what works with what sounded good.” — Thomas Sowell
Too big to fail? Don’t believe it. The United States of America has not been seriously challenged by outside interests. We’re beating ourselves, internally. Our politically motivated spending is building debt, not equity. We risk being at the mercy of our competitors; China, Russia, and Europe.
History provides context, many times over. Most notably, the Roman Empire crumbled under its own excesses. Today, Greece and Venezuela offer examples of the effect of government largesse, and debt. The Hawaii Employee Retirement System’s $24 billion deficit offers proof of our political short sightedness. We continue to reelect the same officials, based on their campaign promises.
At the family level, a book was written by Robert T. Kiyosaki, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” It illustrates two financial strategies with equivalent incomes. One prudent Dad spends within his limits and builds equity. The other Dad spends for today and builds debt. The consequences are inevitable. Financial behavior results are the same at every economic level: Individual, family, community, church, county, state, country, and planet!
Progressive Democrats are attempting to make profit an evil concept. Progressives argue that corporate profit is obscene. They ignore the hundreds of thousands of unprofitable businesses forced into bankruptcy, and the loss of good jobs. Unprofitable businesses don’t last long. Only governments linger longer, on the spending and promises of legislators, that should know better.
“I have never understood why it is ‘Greed’ to want to keep the money you’ve earned, but not greed to want to take someone else’s money.” Again, Thomas Sowell
The one good effect of progressive aggression is the disruption of the Democratic Party, whose complacency has enabled the rise of these socialists. The fragmentation of Hawaii’s Democratic Party is an opportunity to review the excesses of political reelections. The promises of candidates, meeting the reality of “sustainability,” is the legacy of empty promises.
Mike Curtis, Koloa
